Eclectic Summer

What crazy weather!

2011-09-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

Much of our time here in the Montgomery area has been rainy and windy. Just to show you what it was like, I got all of these photos over a two day period in the campground. One time I thought we were goners!

Both of these events occurred almost at the same time on two different days. The first storm was scary, but didn't have wind or rain where we were. The second became very windy and very rainy as well as looking very scary!

Day One:

We'd been out touring the Montgomery and it started looking like it was going to storm. It looked serious!

The edges of the clouds appeared to have "fingers."

It got darker and darker!

The "fingers" were creeping closer to the campground!

Now there are layers in the clouds!

It began to "run into itself."

Just before it rolled near the campground.

Surprisingly, very little wind or rain where we were for this one. But wait, the next day - another day, another storm!

Spent the day sight seeing and headed back late in the afternoon. It's time for napping and reading before dinner. David and Chrissy chose the bed and I chose the couch. I was doing fine until I asked him what they were doing back there! The whole trailer was shaking! About that time he asked me what I was doing up there. Looked out the window and freaked!

We can see a storm gathering ahead and thinking "ROUND TWO." Something about this one is different. There is wind ahead of this one. I got brave and decided to take some pictures outside.

These were looking up into the storm:

Then the storm got closer:

David told me to get back inside. The wind was really rocking the trailer! Got inside and noticed a really strange color inside coming from outside!

The sky had turned red! It was amazing! Although the camera didn't catch it in all its glory, the light was really glowing. It was eerie! Decided I'd get something to eat and go to bed before being taken to Oz! LOL

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

A nod to the past wars

2011-08-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Montgomery is filled with history, memorials, statues, and more historical markers than I can count. Today's blog is for remembering the past and those who went before us.

This tall monument was on a small piece of land between a building and what appeared to be an apartment house. Just in front of it was a large flower bed in the shape of the State of Alabama. It appears to have been neglected for some time. The flower bed and the urns have no flowers now.

It stopped here with the Vietnam War.

What would a trip to the Capitol of Alabama be without visiting the huge Confederate Memorial on the grounds? This is a beautiful monument with many details and with explanations of some of the history of the Confederate Flags. That's right....flags as in many of them.

This is the view of the memorial from the street level.

The memorial is large with many details. Here it is a little closer.

Detail from the top

The knight statue.

First flag explanation.

The sailor statue.

The second flag explanation.

The chivalry statue.

The third flag explanation.

The patriot statue.

The fourth flag explanation.

The following photos are the detail of the band and the statues.

Note the detail on the "braiding" on the column.

Leaving the monument and headed back to the street.

Notice the splash of orange next to the steps? So did I!

I also found another marker!

Here we leave the capitol grounds for the day. We're having dinner with our friends Sarah and Richard Alford!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Eclectic day in Montgomery!

2011-08-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

There are so many wonderful places to visit in Montgomery. Wish we could have visited them all! We wanted to see some eclectic sights, so back to Montgomery. The winner of the eclectic photo of the day was just outside the Cattleman's Mooseum.

I might have been inclined to follow this one, but David wouldn't go for it! LOL

I found a new function on the GPS. It points out places of interest in an area. Only took me four years to figure this out! Off we go to find the home of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. She was from Montgomery and lived here with her husband for awhile.

Wish I'd planned more time and could have visited here.

Downtown Montgomery offers many historical signs and points off interest. Tried to shoot as many as possible, but didn't come close to all of them!

Standing in the middle of the road will get you a great shot of the capitol building...provided you don't get run over. The thought of "go play in the traffic" was going through my mind on this shot!

To the right of this shot is the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church that was once pastored by Dr. Martin Luther King.

Standing in a construction zone to get this picture.

Between the church and the capitol building was this sign:

Hang a left beside the church and there is an amazing city fountain. It was so hot I really considered jumping in!

It looked so refreshing, I took a really close up shot of the water bubbling up.

Moving down the street:

Then there is the centerpiece: Court Square Fountain:

Top portion of the fountain.

We were getting hungry and decided to stop for lunch. Don't remember where, but we did keep passing this sign all day. Finally decided you might need a giggle, too!

Funny way to end this day!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Paying our respects

2011-08-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

Montgomery has some really beautiful final resting places. In search of one, we found more than we could have imagined. Armed with our faithful GPS (it's on it's last "legs") we head to a Hank Williams, Sr. Memorial. Here's what we found!

OK, not the cemetery, but we're getting closer. Didn't know about the number of mourners at his funeral! Sir Garmin of GPS says Greenwood Cemetery, so off we go!

We wander though this beautiful old cemetery not knowing where we're going, but Sir Garmin says he does.

Turns out Former Governors George and Lurleen Wallace are buried here along with another family member. We do stop to pay our respects. The tall brick structure belongs to another family.

We've been to where Hank Sr is buried, but it's been a long time. Wandering among the tombstones and markers is fun so we keep going.

We spot a big marker and head toward it. Turns out to be Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

These four markers are one large monument sitting on a cross formed from marble strips or blocks.

We keep looking, but no Williams monument. We drive out toward where Sir Garmin says it is, but no luck. We finally ran into two cemetery salespersons and asked them. Turns out were in the wrong cemetery. Hank and Audrey are buried in the Oakwood Annex. Fortunately, it's close by.

Oakwood Cemetery is beautiful. Old, old monuments and headstones. You drive through a small gate near the police station to reach it. We found out later there was an easier and closer entrance, but this one is great.

It's not hard to miss this monument. Fans stole the grass from the graves, so astro-turf was put down there. Not trying to be funny, but someone suggested the whole thing looked like a Putt-Putt course. Kind of had to agree. You can decide for yourself!

Full Monument

Top Detail on Hank's Monument

There are two of these guitars. One is for Audry and one is for Hank. Both appear to be made of ribbon and Styrofoam.

All of Hank's hits are inscribed on his monument.

A note to Hank from Audrey on the back of his tombstone.

A note to Audrey from Hank Jr. and his sister Lycretia.

David and Chrissy spend a few minutes together at the gravesides.

What a monument! WOW! We wandered just to the left of this and were really surprised to see who was buried there.

The markers above are those of British RAF pilots who died in training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama during WWII. The French officers who also died are buried nearby. Instead of the English Channel separating them, this cross monument below does.

The names of all the dead French and English are listed here.

Another rainy day so we draw to a close here.

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Touring Montgomery, AL - A Capitol(s) Idea!

2011-08-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

Not sure how I ever missed a field trip to go the Montgomery, Alabama, but somehow I did. Montgomery is famous for many things: State Capitol, Home of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, White House of the Confederacy and much more. Like the last post, this one will be photos with some explanations. When David reads this, he'll discover more than he realizes. He staying in the truck with Chrissy while I took photos, so this will be the first time he really knows what "we" did in Montgomery! Here we go!

See what I mean? It was kind of rainy and Chrissy decided she didn't want out, so she and David waited for me in the truck. They waited and waited and waited.

First stop was the White House of the Confederacy. It was the home/office of Jefferson Davis during part of the Civil War. Didn't tour inside, but the home is beautiful outside and has many beautiful architectural details.

There is a beautiful wrought iron fence surrounding the yard. So much detail!

I realized I was across from the Alabama State Capitol building! Hadn't noticed because I was looking for this house first. Checked with the two in the truck, but they decided to stay there and wait for me! They missed a lot.

Each of the 50 states has a display below the flagpole featuring their state flag. Wyoming's was most impressive to me. It was done in a beautiful rock formation that may have been marble. Up the walkway to the next site!

I was walking up the driveway and admiring the different flags form each state and then saw this view of the Capitol Building. I'd never sen it from this angle. Notice the small monument to the right? If you look closer, you'll see it has a flame at the top. Turned out to be my next stop.

Flame of Freedom

Honoring Alabama War Veterans

Each side had something different inscribed on it.

On around the building.....

Did you know each state has a replica of the Liberty Bell? The one for Alabama is located on the Capitol grounds. Here's a link to find where each one is: Liberty Bell

Just beyond the Liberty Bell was a beautiful flower garden with red flowers planted in the shape of a star.

Beyond the flowers was another statue. I was afraid to walk on the grass, so I asked a nearby Capitol Police officer if it was okay to take a picture from the grass side. He told me it was perfectly fine and then told me I could go into the building itself and climb to the cupola. Didn't make it this trip, but will the next time.

Here is the marker explaining the flower garden.

This Statue is called "Duty Called."

It was a monument to the fallen officers and also marked when the Alabama Highway Patrol was formed. The name is now the Alabama State Troopers.

On around the Capitol:

Keep in mind it's getting darker and it's kind of misty......

There are many interesting markers and memorials covering the capitol grounds. This one was in memory of Lafayette.

Approaching the front of the capitol.

Getting closer!

In keeping with my "Eclectic Summer" theme, this statue was pretty eclectic! It's James Marion Sims - the father of modern gynecological medicine. Note the bird resting on his head! Click here for more info on him.

This statue was of Jon Allen Wyeth. Learn more about him here.

Found North and South Meridian markers. Can't find how they got here, what they were for, etc. Ideas?

OK this is the statue that scared me! It was getting darker, no one was around and it was just creepy. The statue was on a hill and I was just below the hill shooting upward. I was looking through the viewfinder and I realized it reminded me of Barnabas Collins from the TV show "Dark Shadows." I quickly moved away from this statue. Scary. Only later did I discover it was a statue of Jefferson Davis.

Here are the columns on the capitol building. It really is a beautiful building. Lots of wrought iron on the front, too.

By now, David cannot see me, my phone is in the truck, and it's thundering. Time for a break! Headed for the truck!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Stormy weather!

2011-07-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

We've seen some interesting clouds and weather while we've been traveling. I'll post some of them here for you.

One of my favorite pictures to take is that of clouds. I've posted some of the photos on Facebook before. One of my FB friends commented he liked clouds because Jesus was coming back on clouds. Maybe that's why I like them, too!

Here are the photos!

Leaving Trussville before the storm hit.

These were all taken near Wetumpka, AL. They were take over a two day period:

The following ones were just I took in no particular place:

That completes our weather photos for today!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Coon Dog Cemetery

2011-07-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Since Chrissy is a member of the Hound Family, we're off to the middle of nowhere for a visit to the Coon Dog Cemetery. There's really not a good street address, but we have directions. Ever our GPS, Sir Garmin of GPS, doesn't understand. The cemetery is located near Red Bay, Alabama and the Mississippi state line. Told you our summer was going to be eclectic. So it is!

Just in case you think I'm pulling your leg about this place, here's a website for you for more information:

http://www.coondogcemetery.com/

We leave early so it won't be so hot when we get there. We're taking I-65 and then getting off on side roads until we reach Tuscumbia. Then it gets to be more country roads. We're up for it!

I mentioned the tornado damage in Tuscaloosa in an earlier post. We saw a lot of it in Cullman and in the other towns we went through. Many areas were hard hit.

We took all the turns and the directions were correct. We turned onto Coon Dog Cemetery Road and drove and drove and drove. We were so far in the woods that I asked David didn't I hear banjo music playing. We finally arrived!

They take all this quite seriously!

We get out and I have to "go." Conveniently, there was a sign marked "Ladies." I thought twice about it and then thought some more. I was desperate.

The answer is: Yes, I did.

I was amazed at all the markers! There are too many to show, but here are many of my favorites.

Troop was the first dog buried here. He died in 1937. Note the flowers and the tennis ball placed on his grave site.

This appeared to be the first monument. There had been a dog carved into the "tree." Someone removed it leaving just the paws.

This is David and Chrissy in front of what appears to be a second monument like the first one. This one has the dogs on the tree. Chrissy was not enjoying herself. She wanted back in the truck with the A/C running! Didn't happen.

Here are many of the markers that caught my attention. There are so many more that I didn't post.

UKC is United Kennel Club. PKC is Professional Kennel Club.

Here's one for a Night Champion and World Champion.

Metal marker that was soldered. You might remember it from the movie "Sweet Home Alabama."

This one appeared to be made from a cedar log plank.

This was the dog's credentials that allowed him to be buried here.

A last laugh perhaps? A coon on the dog's marker.

This photo was placed on the grave site.

We don't know if this one wasn't permitted to be buried in the cemetery, but the photo and info were and carved into the wood rafters of the picnic pavilion.

After a quick trip into Red Bay, we decided to head home. We took a road I didn't know home. The new I-22. I was familiar with I-24 headed to Memphis, but hadn't heard of this one. Great road to take and we were back home in no time.

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Short trip to Oak Mountain State Park

2011-07-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Chrissy was tired of sticking around the house because we kept running errands and doing real life everyday things. She barked that she wanted to go camping, so we headed to Oak Mountain State Park.

She loves being held and napping outside, so David accommodated her. Relaxed isn't she!

Our friend Brian Kunz joined us for dinner that night. Those of you who know Chrissy know that she's not the friendliest little dog you've ever met. She loves Brian. He actually held her and petted her. For quite some time. We were shocked. She won't let us hold her that long! I should be jealous!

The next night we learned there was a campground bingo game. For $1.00 per card you could play 9 games. For the 10th game you paid a dollar a game, but you played "coverall" and the prize was two free nights camping at Oak Mountain! We were in!

I came close several times, but David actually got to shout BINGO! You got to pick your prize from the table and he chose a $30 book on camping in Alabama. Really nice book. Guess who didn't win anything in spite of playing 2 cards? Yep, me....Neither of us won the camping! Now we'll have to go back to try it again!

Quick trip but very much enjoyed!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Roll Tide Roll!

2011-07-02T12:37:00.000-07:00

On the way back from Pickens County we decided on a quick trip to the campus of the University of Alabama. More appropriately, the statues of the coaches who've won National Championships. This post will be mostly photos, so if you're not a fan, move on to the next post! LOL

Bryant Denny Stadium

The last National Championship memorial in the bricks.

Here are the coaches. The first shot of each includes the year/years of National Championships for them.

Coach Wallace Wade

Coach Frank Thomas

Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant

Coach Gene Stallings

Coach Nick Saban

OK, here's where I'm going to get into trouble. I don't like the statue of Coach Saban. It looks "clownish" and out of proportion. Who approved it and what were they thinking? I'll stop here!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Is it really a ghostly image?

2011-07-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was young, I wanted to see the "ghost in the window" at the Pickens County, Alabama Courthouse. The courthouse is located in Carrollton, AL, and not a long drive so we headed to see the "ghost."

Part of our trip took us through Tuscaloosa which was devastated by a tornado on April 27 of this year. I used to live in Tuscaloosa and was living there in 1974 when there was a huge outbreak. Nothing compares to what we saw this trip. I didn't take many photos, but did take one where I used to work. Back then I work in a shopping center near the old Northington Campus area. I worked as a repossesser for a finance company. The last resident of the shopping center was Hobby Lobby. Here's what remains almost two months after the tornado.

It was getting close to lunch when we got to the courthouse square so we decided on lunch first. Since we were in the truck and it's difficult to find a parking space on a street for it, we parked in the bank parking lot and walked across. Apparently so did the rest of the town! We got there at 11:30 a.m. and the buffet was almost gone! What we did get was GREAT! Special part was that we got divided plates. Those of you who know me well know that my food can't touch! It was heavenly! NO TOUCHING FOOD!

We knew we were in a great place right away. The waitress stepped away and one of the locals "Ray Ray" was there. He got his own bowl and dipped up a bowl full of banana pudding. She came back and called his hand on that one. "Ray Ray, are you going to eat that? You know you're diabetic. I'm gonna call your wife if you do." He told it wasn't for him. She walked away and calmly ate the banana pudding! The food had almost disappeared because they open at 10:00 a.m. and the food is great so everyone comes early! Veggies we had were terrific. The homemade lemon pie was absolutely the best!

Now for the ghost window. We started around the courthouse just looking at everything. Lots of monuments and memorials.

Ever traveled the Bankhead Highway in Alabama? It was dedicated to John Bankhead. He was the uncle of Tallulah Bankhead. She was from Alabama, too.

War Memorial to those from Pickens County who gave their lives in service to our Country.

Gorgeous old courthouse details.

War Memorial for those lost in the Spanish American War and dedicated to those of the Confederacy.

Last corner of the courthouse contains the window with the "ghost" in the window.

There are many stories about this image. I'll use the one in the historical marker:

Here are several shots of the window. What do you think?

You can read more about the story here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickens_County_Courthouse

While eating lunch, we got to talking to the lady who waited on us. She enjoys camping and told us about a campground about 10 miles away. We decided to check it out. It's a Corp of Engineers park. We usually don't stay in their parks because most of them don't have full hookups. This one did. Every spot was level and the place was beautiful. We'll be back here this summer!

It's late afternoon and we're headed back! Next stop - University of Alabama Campus in Tuscaloosa!

Catch up down the road!

Jenny :)

Cemetery Stroll in our hometown of Trussville, AL

2011-07-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

We're home after about 3 weeks on the road. Short trip for us! On the way back into Trussville, we kept seeing a sign about "Cemetery Stroll." There is a really old cemetery in Downtown Trussville across from City Hall.

We were out running errands and decided to stop by and see what was going on at the cemetery. Since it was from 12:00 pm. - 4:00 p.m. and it was now 3:30 p.m., we were cutting it short.

We got out of the car and was it ever HOT! Clouds were piling up, but no rain. JUST HOT!

We approached the tent (cemetery one) and asked what to do next. We signed in and waiting until our guide came for us. Soon enough she appeared!

She directed us to our first stop on the stroll. William P. McCory. Mr. McCory died while serving in the Navy during the Korean War.

He explained to us that his ship was hit by another ship and he drowned at sea. He explains his body was not buried here, but he didn't mind as he was at rest. Note the 3 markers on the top of his tombstone. The first is the ship he served on, the middle one is his portrait, and the third one is the ship that caused the accident. It was amazing how much this young man looked like the portrait.

Our next stop was Ernest Garrison. He and his wife Artemecia had 13 children. One of the family here, Eugene Garrison, was murdered and his murder was never solved.

After hearing him share his story, we moved on to visit Alice Blake. She married her husband when she was very young and he was much older. They had moved to Trussville for work. Their home was located where Applebee's is now. She and her husband bought one of the first cars in Trussville. He wrecked it one day while driving so she learned to drive and took over the family driving duties.

Alice was a delightful young woman!

Time to move on as it's really getting dark! Next we visited Mary Truss. She and her family were one of the early settlers of Trussville. She shared with us the story of the holly tree near her marker. Over 200 years ago, a westward traveler on horseback stopped to rest his horse. Deciding to retire his whip, he planted it in the ground. The whip sprouted into a holly bush and remains there still.

Mary Truss

There are some interesting markers here. Our guide took time to explain a couple of them to us. The first one shaped like a triangle was built that way to keep cows from falling into the graves. The second one is made from stacked stone and sort of like a horizontal mausoleum.

The huge magnolia tree in the photo above has it's own history. Legend has it that the ancient magnolia tree int he Trussville Cemetery is one of the oldest trees in the State of Alabama, if not the country. Two lovers were betrothed under the beautiful tree. The bride set her wedding date in June, but caught pneumonia and died. The young man was overcome with grief. The years went by and the young man would see the tree and cry. He grieved himself to death and his family honored his request to be buried by his sweetheart. On nights when the moon is shining bright, you can see the young sweethearts embrace.

On to meet more Trussville settlers!

Here we have Arthur Truss who was the first postmaster for the City of Trussville. Nancy Truss was the wife of Warren Truss, the found of Trussville.

We see a young woman moving back and forth near a marker at the back of the cemetery. It's now darker and thundering!

See her disappearing near the huge marker? She paces back and forth.

We move closer and she stops to speak to us.

Have you seen my mother? Where is my father? Please help me find them!

Her name is Una Mae Brown and is the only member of her family buried here. We notice she's carrying a glass of red liquid and her face is stained with red. She apparently died of TB long ago. Back then she was though to have "vampire disease." After she died, her younger brother became very ill. They dug up her body, removed her heart and had it ground into a powder. The powder was put into a drink for her brother, but he did not survive. She still wanders looking for her family.

Here is her marker:

The tour ended here, but there is much more to see. We spend a little more time here, but the storm is getting closer. We'll come back for more photos! We also asked to join this group (the live one) to participate in an October Cemetery Stroll.

Here are some of the markers we saw:

He died as a lived..a Christian.

Asleep in Jesus

Happy Trails Until We Meet Again

This marker was metal.

Note the lamb carved on top. This was a traditional child's monument.

A Little History

There are graves dating from the 1700's and 1800's of many prominent Trussville families in this historic cemetery:

The Talley Family - 1785-1838

The Truss Family - 1837

The Carlisle Family - 1880

The Vann Family - 1864

The Praytor Family - 1862

In January, 1871, Mr. T. K. Truss deeded the property where the cemetery lies today to the Trustees of the Cahaba Baptist Church. In 1948, the First Baptist Church of Trussville deeded it to the town of Trussville. Once again, in 1962, the town of Trussville deeded it to the First Baptist Church. On April 17, 1962, the First Baptist Church deeded the cemetery and property to the newly formed Trussville Memorial Cemetery Association. The Association was incorporated January 26, 1962. The original Cahaba Baptist Church building that was constructed in 1873 and remained there until 1946 is where the Dairy Cone now stands.

The Trussville Memorial Cemetery Association was officially formed in 1962 by Wesley Mann Garrison, buried here. It is funded through private donations for the perpetual care and upkeep of both the Trussville Cemetery and the Mt. Nebo Cemetery in Trussville, Alabama. Mr. Garrison, a Birmingham attorney and Trussville native, decided that these stories and the history of these wonderful families needed to be preserved. Many of the family heirs had moved on and the cemeteries fell into disrepair and neglect. Because many of the Garrison family are also buried here, Mr. Garrison organized several of the remaining heirs and founded the Trussville Memorial Cemetery Association. His older brother, Mr. Thomas Garrison, was a brick mason who designed and built the existing wall that frames the cemetery.

Please Note: Much of the history material came from a handout given to us when we visited the cemetery.

Stone Mountain, GA

2011-06-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

Off to Stone Mountain, GA to go camping with the grandsons! It's been sometime since they camped with us and they didn't camp together....one on one night and one on the next. Stone Mountain is about 10 minutes from their house, so if someone has to go home, it's nearby.

We get to the campground and it is HOT! The campgrounds aren't as full as I would have thought. We get a space on M Loop and it has a view of the lake if you stand on our top step and crane your head just so. It costs extra to camp on the lake, but we're not doing lake activities this time so no need for a space there.

The boys are thrilled when they get here. We have a new camper they haven't seen yet. It has two slides and lots of room. No decision reached yet on where anyone is going to sleep. There are too many places to choose from. The boys head back home for the night. David has a job in Commerce, GA for the next two days, so we head to bed early.

Stephanie and the boys pick me up the next morning. Chrissy is very excited to see them. We spend a little time with her and then head out. Nowhere in particular to go, but some errands to run and places to see. Oh, did I mention the boys are on swim teams? I get to go see them swim for the first time.

We arrive at the swim meet and there are tons of excited kids and parents there. Have I mentioned it was HOT? I so wanted to jump in the pool with them just to cool off! HOT! HOT! HOT!

The coaches get the team ready by cheering them on. The coaches stand on one end of the pool with the swimmers at the other end. They shout cheers back and forth!

Patrick is in the 4-6 year old group. What they lack in skill, they more than make up for in enthusiasm. Patrick is on the block and is in perfect form.

That's Patrick on the #5 block. Note he's in form and looking forward and he's ready to go as soon as the command to swim is given. AND he's off!

Complete with holding his nose! LOL

He's in the water and taking a breath. Yes, he was breathing, but he was also checking where the other swimmers were.

He touches the wall first! He did a terrific job! He finished first in his heat and 2nd in the event.

I asked him how he kept track of where the others were when he wasn't taking a breath. He told me that he just looked between his feet while he was swimming!

One little boy in his heat took almost 5 minutes to swim his one lap. He had held onto the rope several times and was officially disqualified, but he kept swimming. He was tired and mad, but he was so determined to finish that lap. He was asked if he wanted someone to help him finish. He yelled NO! He wanted to finish. By the time he touched the side, everyone was down there and on their feet yelling for him! Even the other team was cheering him on. He did a great job!

Trey is 10 years old and enjoys swimming, too. He was ready on the block, but I missed the shot of it. I did get this one.

It looks like they were all trying to run on the water! Trey is the one at the top of the shot near block 1 or 2. I think they'll be working on diving in! I didn't get to see all his events, but he did quite well, too!

They had an interesting item at the concession stand. They had "Tacos in a Bag." You open an individual size bag of chips, pour in cooked taco seasoned meat, lettuce, cheese, and shake it up. Bags were hot, but it seemed pretty popular! Might try it next time.

One sight caused me uncontrollable giggles. The Eagles are one of my favorite groups. One man caused one of their songs to be stuck in my head. The line I got stuck on was "I saw a Dead Head sticker on a Cadillac." Didn't see it on a Caddy, but did see it tattooed on a leg! Really?

Soon it's time to head to the campground for a night with Mimi and Chrissy! Don (son-in-law) drove me and Patrick back to the campground. He's spent the night with me while David was gone. Chrissy sleeps with me and David and she wasn't too sure she wanted anyone else in the bed with me. She finally gave in and let Patrick in the bed! We read for awhile and both of us slept!

Steph and Trey came to get us next morning. More running around and having a great time. We stopped for lunch and it kind of went downhill from there! In a fun way.

Patrick is losing teeth and decided to give me his new smile.

He actually lost another one the next day and has more getting loose!

Then there was this choice photo.

I asked him what he was doing. In classic Patrick thinking, he replied "Mining for gemstones." Oh, to be 6 again! LOL

Both boys decide to spend the night and David has rejoined us, so we spent an entertaining evening with them.

Trey playing video games and Patrick being the Rubber Band Man!

I think if I tried that I would break something or get stuck forever in that position.

The couch they are on was also their bed. They went to sleep with no arguments or disasters. So did we!

We took them back to Mom and Dad the next day. Very sorry to see them go, but they had places to go and things to do with their friends.

David and I took off to visit the DeKalb Farmer's Market. If you've never been, make some time to visit this place. It's like a huge international market. Spices, beverages, meats, veggies, fish, etc. Because food now has to be labeled with country of origin, it's interesting to see where the food comes from and sometimes what it is. There were so many things there I couldn't identify! We'll go back when we have all day to see it. It's air conditioned so you're not out in the heat.

Sunday morning and our last day to camp. We enjoy going to the campground church service when we're here. There was a Boy Scout troop there who led the Pledge of Allegiance before the service started. The pulpit is a huge log with the top cut at a slant to serve as a platform for a Bible or notes. Someone also carved a cross into the front of the log. Volunteer chaplains lead the service each week. Free books are available and breakfast is served after the service.

The service doesn't last long, but is always good. What gets me is that the people camped nearby, wait until the service is almost over and come and eat breakfast. Some of them still in their pajamas. Don't get it.

Time to pack up and head back home. We still have day trips and one big trip planned.

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting........

2011-06-21T04:21:00.000-07:00

Off to Nashville!

When we left Louisville, we noticed it had gotten a little noisy. It was the beginning of cicada season. They are NOISY CRITTERS! Check with www.cicadamania.com.

We arrived in Tennessee right along with the cicadas. On to Nashville!

We're staying at Two Rivers Campground just down the road from the Opryland Hotel. The shopping center that was flooded when Nashville was underwater has not yet reopened. Off to WalMart because you have to go to WalMart.

We pulled up and the noise was horrible! Sounded like a motorcycle gang cranking up in the parking lot. There were people all over the parking lot acting like ninjas or Kung Fu fighters! They were swinging there arms around their heads and jumping up and down. Some were screaming! Oh wait! That was me....

CICADAS were in my hair!!! They were flying everywhere! There were making noise you couldn't believe! Driving was crazy! There were flying into the windshield like a hailstorm! YUCK!

There were no big plans for dinner, so we turned in early. Tomorrow is the big day for Nashville!

Back in the '80's I worked as a reporter at WSGN Radio (The Big 610). It was an AM station I had grown up listening to for many years. Now it's an NPR station, but that's another story. While I worked there, I met and work with many great D.J.'s, one of which was Tom Peace. He was from Birmingham and we also had a great time working together. Over the last few weeks, we decided to try to get together when we got to Nashville. We both have a fondness for the Loveless Motel and Cafe so we decided to meet there for breakfast.

Check out their website: www.lovelesscafe.com

Carol Fay Ellison (The Biscuit Lady) had made the biscuits here for well over 25 years. Sadly, she passed away in April. Saw her on Martha Stewart once and she refused to give Martha the recipe for the famous biscuits!

This is the courtyard in front of the cafe. It was a former motor court with little individual cabins around it. Now it contains shops and souvenirs. One of the workers was cutting the grass here with cicadas covering him! SHUDDER!

This is the cafe part of the old motel. This used to be the office. Now it's just a wonderful place to eat!

We looked around a bit waiting for Tom to arrive. Then he was there reminding us that it had been 25 years since we'd seen each other! We've decided not to wait another 25 years to get together. Tom's wife was unable to join us as she under the weather.

The food arrived and we got quiet for a little bit. Then it was back to more of talking about where our former co-workers were these days. Some are in Nashville working for a record company, many are still in radio in other cities, but most of us have moved on to other careers.

The cafe is known for it's biscuits. In fact, the lady who made them was on Martha Stewart one time and refused to give Martha the recipe! Sadly, the lady passed away in April of this year.

Tom and I share a love of photography so we spent some time comparing cameras, lenses, and how to frame a shot. So we left David and started taking shots of the neon sign in front of the cafe. Above you see the one I ended up with.

Me and David in front of the cafe. Of course I'm wearing a Tinker Bell shirt!

He's me and Tom. The only reason I'm not holding a camera is that David is using it!

All too soon it's time for us to hit the road and Tom to head to work. We left making plans to not wait 25 years again!

We're headed to Stone Mountain, GA to go camping with our grandsons. Back on the road.

Just down the road from our campsite, we passed this McDonald's. It's designed to look like an old-fashioned radio station!

There is a small tower on the side that resembles a radio station tower. You can get food and souvenirs inside the restaurant.

Yes, it's a dinosaur. It was alongside the road.

Roadside fire that had just started.

Georgia!

We passed by Ringgold, Georgia. They were hit by a tornado in April as was many parts of Alabama. It was sad to see the damage here. We passed by Kennesaw, Georgia where my parents used to live. We passed by lots of traffic in Atlanta, too. It wasn't long before we reached Stone Mountain! YEA!

David has a job in Commerce, Georgia tomorrow. Stephanie is going to bring the boys over tomorrow and we're going camping!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Exploring with Lewis and Clark

2011-06-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

It's Monday and our last full day in Louisville so we decide to see some of the local sites. For the past several years, we've traveled several roads that Lewis and Clark covered, also. We heard there was a Falls of the Ohio Park nearby with a Lewis and Clark statue.

So we finally meet Lewis and Clark!

The river was at flooding stage and the floodgates were open. I was amazed at all the water coming through there. The volunteer told us that the water was also covering all the area you could normally walk out and look at the fossils. Even the blue herons were on a flood wall.

We had a moment to talk to one of the volunteers - Kathy. She had a scope that allowed us to see the blue herons. She was also gracious enough to answer our questions.

We hiked down the stairs and over a lot of flood debris and got to see many fossils close up.

From here you could really see the movement of the water!

The flowers here were also beautiful. They have gardens planted here I wish I had at home!

And of course, we found a horse!

Headed back to the grocery store and packed up for our move tomorrow to Nashville!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Morning in Louisville!

2011-06-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

Headed back to Louisville for breakfast with the group. We've seen a lot of these two signs so far this weekend. We're staying in Indiana and the group and activities are in Louisville.

It's been cloudy up until now. Today we were rewarded with a great view of Louisville.

Some of the group have been to this place before and loved it. First time for me and David! We meet up at Diane's house and take two cars as parking can be a problem as this place is really popular.

In fitting style with our blog (Eclectic Summer), this place is truly eclectic! I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Giant coffee pot and cups filled with flowers outside the restaurant.

Not Pattie's birthday, but the hat looked great on her.

Paulette spent some of the time waiting for our great breakfast playing with an I-Spy toy on the table.

This giant tree was behind our table. It's filled with all kinds of strange things.

Another painted horse....it's actually a toaster! Check out the plug!

And a silver moose!

Suzanne is an excellent cow rider!

Suzanne and I took pictures of each other taking pictures of each other!

I actually talked Carol and Pattie into having this picture taken!

David and Charles even had a lively engineering discussion!

After breakfast we headed to Cave Hill National Cemetery. It was Memorial Day weekend and the graves of the Union dead and Confederate dead were decorated with flags. It was so sad to see so many rolling hills covered with flags.

The cemetery marked the end of our reunion (pun intended). Some of the ladies had to head back home. Charles and Diane offered to show us more of this cemetery, so we took them up on it! Not all of the cemetery is a National Cemetery. There are many large memorials here that are stunning. I missed taking the pictures of several of them. They were tombs built into the side of a hill. They reminded me of what the tomb of Jesus might have looked like.

One of the notable buried here is Col. Harlan Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame!

Great works of art such as statues and stained glass windows in some of the masoleums were spectacular.

Diane and Charles decided to come and visit us and Chrissy at the campsite, so back to Indiana. We were a little hesitant about how Chrissy might behave (you know how she can be!). Turned out not to be a problem at all.

She was a perfect lady!

We were sad to see Charles and Diane leave, but they had things to do! Can't wait until the next reunion! We'll be on our own tomorrow!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

And they're off!

2011-06-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

Not much going on this morning, but later this morning we are scheduled to go to Churchill Downs and to meet the rest of our reunion group. We've been planning this reunion for two years and now it's here!

We're all meeting at Diane's house and taking two cars. We take a quick tour of the house and we all fall in love with it. So many beautiful touches! Such as an armadillo and a flamingo!

We decide to have our picture made on Diane's back porch:

Front row: Me, Pattie
Back row: Carol, Paulette, Diane (her house), Suzanne

We met at Diane's house so we could take two cars. David and Charles (Diane's husband) rode with Carol and Pattie and me, Diane, Suzanne, and Paulette rode together in Diane's car.

We pulled up to Churchill Downs and I was in for a shock! Not at all like I thought it would look. Somehow I pictured this race track in the countryside. Not so...it's in town! Once you're inside, it truly is very nice.

We pulled up to the valet park area and the man taking the $5 asked if we knew the names of the seven dwarfs. We started naming them and he stopped us, gave the money back and let us park for free! The group in the other car had to pay!

We have reservations in the Matt Winn Room. You could choose menu or buffet, but I believe we all stuck with the buffet. Very fancy and very good. Felt really sorry for one lady...she turned over the peach cobbler on the buffet. It hit the floor and there was cobbler everywhere!

David did try the burgoo (kind of stew), but I wasn't brave enough!

We spent some time eating, but then headed outside to see what there is to see and do at Churchill Downs.

See the guy in the red coat blowing the bugle? He's playing the "Call to the Post." It's played about 10 minutes before each race. Gives the horses time to get to where they are going to start. David referred to the guy as the "coo-coo clock." Popped out, played his tune, and popped back in until the next time to play it!

This beautiful horse was quite a handful all the way up the track. Quite feisty! One friend said it was because leg warmers had gone out of style.

Here are the horses running on the dirt track. After each race, a "dirt Zamboni" (BIG TRACTOR) comes and smooths the dirt. Sometimes they raced on the dirt and sometimes on the grass.

Look at the horse at the end (far left). All four feet are off the ground! Made me remember an old "Bat Masterson" episode that decided whether or not all four feet truly left the ground. They do!

One of the funniest sites of the day was this jockey checking the big screen replay to see who one!

Here was a photo finish!

And here was the one to bet on!

These painted horses are all over Louisville. This one was at Churchill Downs.

After the track, we all headed back to Diane's house. We eventually headed back to the campground. Breakfast tomorrow at a fun restaurant or so we've been told!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Kentuckiana

2011-05-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

We've learned a new word from watching TV here - Kentuckiana! We're actually staying in Indiana across from Louisville, KY. Makes sense to me.

This RV is parked about 3 spaces down from us. Even the tow vehicle is wrapped like this one. It has a website on it: www.lovegrownfoods.com.

Back across the river to visit downtown Louisville!

It's still cool and cloudy here, but we have our light jackets, so it's all good. We're going to visit the museum district downtown. That's where the Louisville Slugger Factory is. You can't miss it!

What's baseball without the bat and ball?

While you are waiting to take the factory tour, they have many exhibits to tour:

Notice the notches above the words "Louisville Slugger?" Put there by Babe Ruth for each time he hit a home run with this bat!

Light saber bat!

Shades of "Field of Dreams!" Shoeless Joe Jackson's bat!

No photos are allowed during the factory tour, but it was great. We actually got to see them making bats for Derek Jeter! Also learned that if you see a bat with the player's name in block letters, he doesn't have a contract with Louisville Slugger. If it's written in script (signature), he has a contract with them.

We finished the tour and it was time for lunch. We asked one of the ladies there for a recommendation and she suggested Mrs. Potter's. It was a block down and it was terrific!

Time for one more museum - the glass museum. While we walked there I noticed some architectural details I liked.

Horsing around....

What is this thing on top of the building?

Pink Penguins!

Corner Building

The glass museum was very interesting - blown glass, stained glass, art glass, slumped glass, etc. Could have stayed there all day!

Adding more glass to a piece.

Blowing the glass while it's been rolled.

Glass removed and working on the end that had been on the end of the rod.

Glory Hole where the glass is heated.

Make a glass piece using glass rods.

Working the glass.

Rolling the glass

Time to head back across the river and take a nap! We're meeting friends for dinner and want to look our best! We're headed to meet Diane and Charles and ride with them to the restaurant to meet more friends. Diane and I have been online together for 15-20 years, but this is the first time we've met in person.

She and Charles live about 20 minutes from where we are. Due to heavy traffic and a GPS goof, it took a bit longer. Finally found her house and got to meet her and Charles. They have a beautiful home filled with family photos, some of which are over 100 years old. I loved it! In the car and off to meet Suzanne and Paulette at the restaurant!

Here's my first view of the restaurant:

There's a bird perched on top of the statue! It fit right in with the rest of the decor. It's a great Italian restaurant. When you enter, you're taken through the kitchen and then to the dining room. There's even a chef's table seating area in the kitchen. It's family style serving and the food was terrific! They quickly discovered I don't like tomatoes and my food can't touch. Here's some of the evening:

Diane needed a spoon for her coffee. I hadn't used my spoon, so I gave her mine. I believe she and Paulette found it to be just what they needed for stir the coffee.

Here's the salad. I think I might have eaten the lettuce, but nothing else. Come to think of it, I'd pass on the lettuce after it had been touched by everything! LOL

Front row: Charles, Diane, Suzanne. Back row: Paulette and me. Notice we're holding large spoons and knives!

Hated to leave, but we all need our beauty sleep for Saturday. Churchill Downs! Can't wait!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Oh! Kentucky!

2011-05-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

Back on the road again and headed for Kentucky! We'll be spending the night in Berea. Knowing we weren't going to be sight-seeing, we checked for another spot so we didn't have to unhook. Our campground is called Oh! Kentucky.

Back on the road and it's very windy. Glad I'm not driving!

Welcome to Tennessee!

Re-run of yesterday, but with one different stop. WalMart! I'd run out of a prescription and needed to get it refilled. It took about an hour to get it transferred and that gave me plenty of time to shop! David waited with Chrissy in the truck. We have a couple of new $5.00 movies and a much longer cable for the TV. 50' should be sufficient!

While I was waiting, I got to talking to a young woman at the prescription counter. She was waiting for some medicine for her sick daughter. I learned she had three children, her father is homeless, and she hat a pit bull. Interesting people!

We got to the campground and got setup. No cable, but local TV is warning us about the possibility of severe weather for our area. We're not close to where the shelter is, so I decided to sleep in my clothes. Yes, I know....

David keeps saying he's been to this campground before! Turns out he had! He was in the Airstream and stopped here for the night a few years ago. Unusual for him to remember campgrounds.

The weather radio is set, the cell phones have alarms set for weather alerts in Berea. About 3:30 a.m. it came through. Some lightning, lots of rain, and lots of wind, but nothing severe. The radar was still showing a line of severe storms that we would drive through to get to our destination - Louisville or rather Indiana!

Quick breakfast and back on the road. It's all interstate to where we're headed, but we keep an eye on the weather. Actually, David kept an eye on the weather and I napped!

There is a lot to visit here...Lexington - Horse Capital of the World, Bourbon Trail (all the distilleries have tours), Wineries, etc. We're also on the Purple Heart Highway.

We get to Louisville and have to pick up I-65. Just one problem. Some guy in a big Mercedes won't let us in! We can't get over so we have no choice, but to keep going. Fortunately the GPS routed us back to where we needed to cross the Ohio River. The bridges are neat looking, but it also looks like it's about to really storm!

On to Indiana. We're staying at the KOA on the Indiana side of the river. We were headed to the campground when a guy in a city truck stopped us. He told us to turn left and go up several blocks and then come back the direction we were headed. Turns out there is a LOW overpass at the campground and we never would have cleared it!

We get to the campground and find we have lots of company. Seems there is a PGA Tournament going on and lots of people are staying here. There is also a train track next to us.

We almost finished setting up when the rain came. It was windy and raining, but not severe! Glad of that. Decided it was lunch time, so we had lunch and waited out the storm. Waited and waited and waited. Finally it quit. Couldn't get the cable to work, so one of the workers came over and got it working! YEA!

No plans for the evening, but many tomorrow! Museums and a reunion! Can't wait!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

North Carolina!

2011-05-27T06:09:00.000-07:00

We're actually headed to Louisville, KY, but will spend a couple of nights on the road before we get there. Our next stop is Candler, NC, just outside Asheville, NC.

It has been hot and humid in South Carolina and we're hoping the mountains will be somewhat cooler.

As we were leaving the campground, we saw a big Mercedes alongside us. The guy in it was reading his I-Pad!

The trip was pretty uneventful. Stop for fuel...stop for a break....stop for lunch. Lunch was something quick and then back on the road.

We've seen lots of beautiful flowers already. Poppies, Queen Anne's Lace, Coreopsis, etc. gorgeous!

We picked a campground right on I-40 so it was an easy on and easy off for the night. We didn't even have to unhook the rig for the night. Makes it easier to leave the next day.

Remember I hoped for cooler weather? We opened the windows and turned on the fan. It got quite cool during the night. HAD TO TURN THE HEAT ON!

Quick breakfast and back on the road!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

You still gotta clean....sigh...

2011-05-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Even though you're on vacation and you aren't in your home, you do have to clean your home on wheels. Clean the floors, clean the bathroom, and then do laundry.

The laundry area of the campground was just a little way from our RV. Got the clothes together and we walked over to the building. The building also houses the shower area. The laundry is actually located outside the building, but the washers and dryers were very clean.

Three loads of laundry. How can you get that much dirty in a week's time? Oh well.....There was a sign above the washers and dryers that told how long each one took to clean and dry. Since it was so humid, we set the alarm on our cell phones and headed back to the camper between loads. On the way back to ours, we noticed we had neighbors who have a the same kind of camper we have.

This is David in our spot.

This one belongs to Jim and Linda. They are from Michigan via North Carolina. We decided to have dinner together tonight, so we headed to the store for more supplies.

We had a great dinner of grilled hot dogs, beans, and strawberry shortcake. The strawberries were courtesy of our friends Brenda and Dennis. We had a great time at dinner! We discovered Linda and Jim's unit was a different layout from ours. The color scheme was similar. All too quickly it was time to head to bed for our trip to North Carolina tomorrow.

David packed up as much as possible and I put away inside things. Off to bed and on the road tomorrow!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Carriage Tours and One Hot Horse!

2011-05-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

We decided to take our carriage tour with Eddie and Susan today. Off we go to find a parking place in Charleston. We eventually found one nearby at a closed bank. The lady working the deck was kind enough to let us park in "RESERVED" parking spaces.

The horses pulling the carriages are HUGE. The brown ones are Belgian Draft horses gotten from the Amish. The black and dappled ones are Percheron horses. They are so large! The workers there explained how well cared for these horses are.

You board the carriage from a ramp that doesn't require you to climb up. You just watch straight in! There are 3 different tours, but even the carriage driver doesn't know which tour will be taken until you stop at the next corner. A "bingo" system of balls pops up and that determines which tour you are on. They attach a small metal plate to the back to show which one you are. The drivers can be fined for backing up traffic or straying from their designated tour route.

Some of the horses might bite, so you see this sign as you load up.

This is our carriage and guide.

There is so much to see in Charleston and you really need weeks to see it all, the next pictures are from the tour....some described, some not.

One of the original stone streets. The stones were actually ballast from the incoming ships. The city had to dig up part of the road to fix something and each stone was numbered and placed back where it had been originally. There is a hefty fine for trying to take one of the stones.

Closeup....how would you like to drive or walk that everyday?

Dueler's Alley - Duels actually took place here and bullets are still being found.

The black iron on the building is a set of earthquake bolts. Not there to hold the house together during an earthquake, but to hold the house together following a large earthquake in the 1800's.

Can you find the 16 hats in this painting on a building?

Blue man group...sort of

Earthquake bolt on left and Fire Insurance Medal on right. You paid for fire insurance and they put a medal on your house so you could prove you had paid. No medal, no firefighters. There are many different fire medals in the city.

The steeple on this church leans 3 degrees following the 1800's earthquake

Fancy moulding on house

More medals

Beautiful gate and a beautiful garden beyond

All the lions on this building are different.

This beautiful entry was featured in the movie "The Notebook."

More wrought iron

The Pink House...pink walls, pink pool, pink dogs.

The border around the windows and door is a rope. It was an indication that the person was a merchant. The more rope and more detailed rope marked a well-to-do merchant.

A warning to pirates on The Battery.

Rainbow Houses

No particular house....just liked it a lot!

The hour for the tour was nearing an end and our horse, Laddie, knew it! He started to almost run pulling the carriage and all of us! Amazingly, he parallel parked himself at the carriage stop and began drinking his water! Smart horse!

This is Susan petting Laddie. We all did and realized immediately that we all needed to wash our hands! That was one warm horse that smelled like he'd been working out!

We stopped for a quick lunch at Jason's Deli and started back to the campground. We remembered a church we wanted to photograph, so Eddie drove us back to the Catholic Church for photos. Here we go pictures of the church and the iron work on the house next door.

Then Susan and Eddie had to go home. They dropped us back at the campground and headed home.

But...more friends coming! Dennis and Brenda McGowan came to visit us! We know Dennis from our work with Alabama Raceway Ministries. David and Brenda had not met before, so we had a great time eating and talking into the evening. Managed to get a quick picture before they headed back home. They live nearby, so it wasn't toooo far for them to go!

Tomorrow is cleaning day...laundry, dishes, floors, etc. We do have plans to visit the dog park and the beach!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Two by sea (couples that is!)

2011-05-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

After a breakfast of champions - Cheerios! - Susan and Eddie came to pick us up to visit Charleston. We already had our dinner cruise tickets, but needed tickets for the harbour tour and the carriage tour. Off we go!

If you get to the wharf area to get your tickets, there's a sign nearby just in case you need directions. Note the distances are given in inches, feet, and miles!

Tickets in hand, so we decide to head off for a quick drive by The Battery before our harbour tour. The homes here are absolutely stunning. Didn't take photos here because we do a carriage tour tomorrow and should be more then. Did grab a few shots of Charleston.

Off to the Beauregard for our harbour tour!

This is Russell, our guide. He is a former history prof and made the tour quite enjoyable with his knowledge of the area and it's history.

Susan enjoyed the tour, too! Unfortunately, she didn't get to sit with me, David, and Eddie.

Charleston Harbor

Yorktown, Sailboat, Speedboat

Fort Sumter

Ravanel Bridge with Sailboat

Under the bridge

Yorktown up close

After all the tour, we were starving. Mike and Lyn Jackson recommended lunch at the Noisy Oyster. So we went straight there. EXCELLENT FOOD AND SERVICE. We were seated at a booth next to the window which was open so you could see out and see and hear the people on the street.

Noisy Oyster

My lunch! YUM!

We could see the Charleston City Market out the window, so we headed there next. We found one artist with a great sense of humor! Remember that this is the day the rapture was to happen....

Heading back to the car, got this shot of the Custom House:

What beautiful buildings they have here!

Back to the campground for some nap time before our dinner cruise. Eddie and Susan came back to get us and we headed out to board the ship.

Can you tell I like this bridge? We've traveled under it and now over it!

Standing in line to board, my fashionista expert, David, pointed to a gentleman ahead of us in line. He even realized that this wasn't appropriate attire for anywhere! Note the polo pants and the plaid shirt. Did he own a mirror?

Susan and I stepped out on deck of the ship and I got this shot of 2 dolphins near Fort Sumter.

Sunset through the cloudy sky.

Dinner was an adventure! A lady sitting across from us had a rose tattooed on a place that everyone could see and hoped they couldn't. Her other table mate was dressed in a dress that she was constantly tugging up and down. It was about the size of a king size pillowcase. Then the dancing started. No, we didn't dance, but were greatly entertained! Food wasn't anything special...okay, though.

We had a lot of fun!

Night fell and we cruised around the harbor and back and forth under my new favorite bridge:

End of the evening...Our ship to the left and the U.S.S. Yorktown CV10.

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Charleston and Friends

2011-05-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

Back on the road earlier than planned. The campground was so well lit, we thought it was morning at 4:00 a.m., so we ate breakfast and pulled out. We never unhooked, so there wasn't much for David to do before pulling out.

South Carolina! Then this beautiful state entrance:

We've camped in South Carolina before, but not in this part of the state. It's beautiful here! Wish we'd come sooner!

We're headed to James Island Campground in Charleston. It was highly recommended to us by friends, so that's where we made reservations. We also have recommendations on places to eat and things to do. One of the things to do is a Dinner Cruise. Our friends from North Carolina, Eddie and Susan will be joining us in Charleston.

We got in and got set up. Eddie and Susan arrived at their hotel and made their way over to the campground. David cooked out - Ribeyes, Killer Mac and Cheese! Susan made a salad.

We had a great time planning what we were going to see and do while we were all here. We decided on the dinner cruise, a harbour tour, and a carriage tour. We made plans to meet the next morning and see Charleston!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

And we're off!

2011-05-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

David and I both volunteer with Alabama Raceway Ministries (go "LIKE" Alabama Raceway Ministries on Facebook!). We headed to Montgomery for a meeting with several of the leadership members for planning for the future and for the next races in October. Had a great lunch and a greater meeting! Exciting things to come!

Uneventful trip to Montgomery and then on to Fort Valley, GA. It's a place to spend the night on our way to Charleston, SC. The lady who runs the campground at Fort Valley was really sweet. She described the campground as quiet and well lit. Well lit was the right word. Woke up a couple of times and thought it was morning!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)

Chasing Statues Continued

2011-05-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

After being unable to locate Miss Electra, I sent an email to Alabama Power Co. about where she was located. They went out and checked and told me she was still on top of the building and that flags there may have obscured her.

We had a meeting at Liberty Park this morning and once we finished, we headed to downtown again to take a picture of Miss Electra. But wait! My daughter suggested adding the statue of Nike at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. So we made a detour for lunch at Oak Hill in Homewood and then headed to the Gardens.

One of the first sculptures you see is this fountain. Had it been warm here today instead of the 50's, kids would have been playing in it!

Near the fountains is the Crane Statue and Reflecting Pool.

According to Simple English Wiki:

Nike is the goddess of victory in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of Styx and Pallas and the sister of Cratos, Bia, and Zelus. Nike and her brothers and sister were all friends of Zeus.
Nike could run very fast, had wings and brings good luck. She is usually worshipped at the same time as Athena. Nike is often linked with sport, with companies named for her like Nike Inc. A picture of Nike also appears in all the medals for the Summer Olympics. Her Roman name is Victoria.

Here's the Nike statue at the Botanical Gardens:

David's comment? "I don't see any shoes here."

I love roses, so we headed off for the rose garden where we also found "Last Dance." So strange looking. Almost the same from every angle.

Off to the Southern Living Gardens! Here we found a pond statue. Her name is Echo. Not sure about the frog's name!

One of the side gardens had a small pond with an unnamed statue. We named her snake charmer!

This next one I took "JUST BECAUSE!"

On the way out of the Gardens, we met two lovely ladies from Louisiana. They'd been to Bluegrass Underground in McMinnville, TN. We're going to have to check that place out!

OK, back to the reason all this got started! On to Downtown Birmingham. Here in all her glory is Miss Electra!

Here's the "story" of Miss Electra and Vulcan!

"Miss Electra" has lightning bolts for hair and no clothes. Her sculptor named her "Divinity of Light" in 1926, but the less-stuffy Miss Electra was adopted by locals, and the name stuck. Electra stands on tiptoes 20 stories above ground, on the roof of the Alabama Power Building. She appears to be ready to either hurl electricity into downtown or to fry any Birmingham evil-doer with a bolt from the blue. 23 feet tall, yet she is the smallest of the city's three mythical giants, trailing the replica Statue of Liberty (36 feet) and Vulcan the Iron Man (56 feet). Electra is butt naked, like Vulcan, but her lofty perch keeps gawkers at a respectful distance. "

Part of the story goes that Miss Electra and Vulcan loved each other, but Miss Liberty loved Vulcan, too. It was all unrequited love. Miss Liberty eventually was moved away from the area, but now Vulcan and Miss Electra can look at each other every day!

Catch us down the road!

Jenny :)